The Maxwell Creek Watershed Project (MCWP or “the Project”) is
tackling the complexities of addressing cumulative impacts of climate
change on local ecosystems while also navigating interagency
collaboration. The ultimate goal of the Project is to better understand
and define the efficacy of nature-based solutions, such as the
installation of green infrastructure, in increasing climate resilience
and enhancing ecological integrity and biodiversity.
There are three actionable objectives of the Project:
- Forest restoration
Like on many Gulf Islands, intensive silvicultural (i.e. timber harvest)
activities on Salt Spring Island throughout the 20th century shifted
characteristically structurally complex and biodiverse Coastal
Douglas-fir (CDF) forests to stands that are predominantly homogeneous
in age, with limited size and species diversity, closed canopies
(i.e. dark), and a lack of wildlife and wildlife features (e.g. wildlife
trees, coarse woody debris, etc.). This is certainly the case in the
Maxwell Creek Watershed (MCW). Despite more than 20 years of protection,
the forests within this watershed are dominated by silvicultural
characteristics. This has implications for biodiversity and increases
vulnerability to climate change/weather extremes. The MCWP focuses on
developing, testing, and demonstrating techniques to recover ecological
functions and reduce fire hazards within modified forests of the
Southern Gulf Islands.
- Wetland restoration
Climate induced drought, extreme heat, and exceptional rainfall events
have increased the frequency and severity of local emergencies such as
road washouts, landslides, and loss of electricity and emergency
services. The state of ecosystems in the Maxwell Creek Watershed
exemplifies the extent of modification imposed on the landscape since
settler arrival in the late 1800s. This includes the loss of
approximately 75% of wetlands from this area. The MCWP aims to
understand and define priority areas for restoring wetland functions
lost due to the installation of roads, ditches, and agricultural
drainage systems.
- Baseline observational studies
As described above, the Project has been designed to increase fire
resilience and ecological integrity in forests and wetland ecosystems.
Restoring a more complex forest structure requires an understanding of
historic and baseline conditions. This means collecting information on
hi factors creating areas of high vulnerability (eg., fire,
washout/flooding, loss of biodiversity/habitat), and identifying key
variables influencing the ecological functioning in the watershed. The
first step was to compile satellite imagery, ecological &
biophysical maps, data layers, and any other field data from the
watershed to begin to understand the surface water flows, hydrological
features, forest structure, etc. This is further supported by a growing
assortment of field observations from fixed, long-term monitoring
stations (water flows, forest and vegetation plots, etc),
experimental/treatment plots, data loggers and wildlife cameras.
Introduction
The Maxwell Creek Watershed was chosen as an area of focus for a
number of reasons. Not least of which is that it is essential to the
resilience of the Salt Spring Island community. It supplies potable
water to nearly 50% of year-round island residents, including the
Village of Ganges and the hospital. Maps 1 through 21 will provide
additional information about the study area, land-use history, and many
other additional details that have been considered in the design, and
included in the and implementation of the MCWP.
Mount Maxwell, also known as Hwmet’utsum to the Hul’q’umi’num
speaking peoples, is an important ecological feature of Salt Spring
Island, BC. The mountain is the highest peak in the Gulf islands
standing at 602 metres tall and comprises various unique ecosystems
including second growth Coastal Douglas-fir forests, garry oak
woodlands, and wetland habitat. Hwmet’utsum has gained ecological
interest due to the unique history of logging, agriculture, and wildfire
on the landscape. Specifically, the Maxwell Creek Watershed, extending
over 296 acres of protected land, is the main area of interest. The
Maxwell Creek Watershed project was initiated to understand and enhance
the ecological integrity of the forests and wetland areas in this
watershed through restoration and wildfire resilience.
Map 1: Capital Regional District watersheds on Salt Spring Island.
Maxwell Creek Watershed is outlined in red.
Map 2: Maxwell Creek Watershed on Salt Spring Island
Map 2: Salt Spring Island. Maxwell Creek Watershed is outlined in red
and Maxwell Lake is highlighted in blue. The watershed is currently well
protected through private and public covenants, protected areas, and
parks.
## Warning in colors(.): Some values were outside the color scale and will be
## treated as NA